Nikki arrived at the PRC in October 2019 at less than one year old after being confiscated as an illegal pet from a home in Charles County, Maryland. After being cared for by the Maryland zoo during the state’s legal holding period for confiscated animals, Nikki was transferred to the Primate Rescue Center where she can enjoy the comforts of sanctuary life. Because she was only 4 months old, her care plan had to be specialized to meet her age-specific needs. While Nikki was settling in and adapting to her new home, we began evaluating companionship opportunities for her. Initially, she was introduced to Saidah Barbary macaque. However, Nikki found Saidah to be a little too big and intimidating. Our next option was with another monkey who had also spent time around other baby monkeys – Dewey rhesus macaque. Dewey and his companion Bubbles long-tailed macaque received Nikki into their home with open arms and eagerly began grooming, playing, and cuddling with her. With Dewey and Bubbles as her surrogate parents, Nikki now has the comfort and love needed to mend her tiny heart after being taken from her real monkey mother and sold into the pet trade when she was just a few days old. Nikki is very energetic but also loves to have a nice nap wrapped up inside her favorite blankets. She likes to play with toys that rattle and make noise, and her favorite foods are mangos and popcorn.
Guest opinion: End the primate pet trade before more people get hurt
Monkeys and apes do not belong in anyone’s home – ever. This latest incident should be a wake-up call to our elected officials: Pass the Captive Primate Safety Act to put an end to this cruel and senseless trade.
Smuggled spider monkeys confiscated at Texas border crossing
Smuggled spider monkeys confiscated at Texas border crossing U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officials found four endangered spider monkeys in a duffle bag during a Dec. 30 inspection of a vehicle crossing into Progreso, Texas. (CBP Photo) by: Sandra Sanchez Fox8...
Chimpanzee mother tends her son’s wound by applying insects
Chimpanzee mother tends her son’s wound by applying insects It's a dazzling display of prosocial behavior among great apes. by Tibi Puiu February 7, 2022 ZMEScience.com This photo shows a chimpanzee female, Roxy, applying an insect to a wound on the face of an...
Think that GIF of the smoking chimp is funny? The chimp wasn’t laughing
Think that GIF of the smoking chimp is funny? The chimp wasn’t laughing Mongabay Series: Great Apes by Tina Deines on 17 November 2021 While a GIF of an ape engaging in “human” behavior may seem cute, the animals used to create such images were often subjected to...
Orangutan drawings change with season and mood
She may not be Rembrandt or Pablo Picasso, but Molly the orangutan drew more than 1000 pictures over her lifetime. Now, one of the largest studies of nonhuman primate drawings to date—including hundreds of works by Molly and her ape companions at a Japanese zoo-reveal distinct individual differences in styles and ability. Some of the pictures appeared to change with the season, perhaps indicative of an orangutan’s mood.
Opinion: Hugging is common and meaningful in the animal kingdom
It's tempting to see all the hugs, rubs and lip smacks among animals as something they share with us humans. But there's a critical difference: The animals mean it.
Chimpmas Time is Here!
It’s that time again… The apes and monkeys have been good all year and are hoping that their Chimpmas wishes will come true! Everyone thought long and hard about what they would love most this year and we have put together their list here. Many of the items they...
The Social Primate
In general, primates are social animals. There are many benefits for being a part of a social system, one being protection. Of course, there are some exceptions to this general principle, for instance, the male orangutan, perhaps for the purpose of restraining the number of members competing for the same recourses, but this is not a common theme among the primate order.
Jake and Japanese Macaques
My name is Alister Brown. I interned at the Primate Rescue Center from May to September in 2021. During my time, I was able to grow close to all of the primates on the property. Since I lived in the same building as the chimpanzees, I grew especially close to all...
20+ Years of Sanctuary Club
The Primate Rescue Center rescued its first monkey, Gizmo, in 1987 and began a journey which has now spanned 34 years and given refuge to hundreds of primates along the way.
